1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light source device and a projector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, data projectors are used on many occasions as image projection units which project the screen of a personal computer and video images, as well as images based on image data stored in a memory card onto a screen. In these data projectors, light emitted from a light source is collected to a micromirror display device called a DMD (Digital micromirror Device) or a liquid crystal panel for displaying of a color image on a screen.
Additionally, the projectors have been founding a wide variety of applications ranging from commercial presentations to domestic uses in association with the propagation of video equipment such as personal computers and DVD players.
Conventionally, the mainstream of these projectors has been those which use as a light source a high-intensity discharge lamp. In recent years, however, a plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements such as laser diodes have come to be used as a light source, and in association with the propagation of this tendency, there have been made many developments or proposals of light source units which include a plurality of optical parts such as lenses and mirrors.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-013317, which was early-published for the Japanese patent application previously filed by the applicant of this patent application, proposes a light source device in which a plurality of light sources are arranged into a matrix and spaces between light rays from the individual light sources are narrowed by mirrors which are arranged in a stairs-like fashion so as to reduce sectional areas of pencils of light which are emitted from the plurality of bright points, and a projector which includes this light source device.
In the projector, however, although the sectional areas of the pencils of light can be reduced by narrowing the spaces between the light rays emitted from the individual light sources by the plurality of mirrors, in the event that the number of light emitting elements changes in the same projector as a result of a change in the environment where the projector is used or in the specification thereof, there are caused fears that the light collection balance is collapsed, thereby producing luminance or color irregularities (unevenness) in projection light.